Photo By Catherine Carroll | Steve Carter, Army Reserve Ambassador for the state of Minnesota, asks a question...... read more read more
Subscribe
FORT MCCOY, Wisconsin (July 19, 2016) -- Army Reserve Ambassadors, ARA’s, tell the Soldier’s story at the federal, state and local government levels. It is important the Army Reserve helps them understand the story they tell. The 88th Regional Support Command provided an opportunity for ARA’s to gain first hand insight into what it takes for Soldiers and military leaders to achieve the readiness required to meet the challenges of an evolving military environment.
Twenty-eight Army Reserve Ambassadors from 16 states attended the 88th RSC’s ARA Workshop on Fort McCoy, July 15 and16. The workshop provided the ambassadors information on the current and future structure of the Army Reserve, how the Army Reserve fits into overall Army readiness and what the ambassadors can do to assist Soldiers in their states. Speakers included Army Reserve leadership, general officers with units in the 88th RSC’s 19-state region, as well as Fort McCoy garrison command staff, 86th Training Division command staff and 88th RSC command staff.
Maj. Gen. Patrick Reinert, 88th RSC commanding general, welcomed the attendees with a simple message.
“These are interesting times with interesting challenges,” stated Reinert.
Reinert went on to explain that readiness is the 88th RSC’s number one goal and ambassadors are a critical partner in communicating not only the needs of the military but the capabilities and accomplishments of our force as well.
Maj. Gen. Les Carroll, commanding general of the 377th Theater Sustainment Command, TSC, in New Orleans, spoke to the ambassadors about training requirements, readiness standards and working together. The 377th TSC is the largest command in the Army Reserve with more than 36,000 Soldiers, over 900 Civilians and 442 units in 39 states.
“Readiness doesn’t just happen in the field,” Carroll explained. “Readiness starts with leaders coming together and sharing information. My goal is to get you the information you need.”
Carroll went on to explain that ambassadors are the critical link between military leaders and government officials.
“You are the ultimate volunteers,” said Carroll.
Doug Gibbens, ARA for the state of Indiana, spoke during a break about what he was learning so far.
“It’s an opportunity to stay up to date and to hear the most current information’” Gibbens said. “Perhaps the most interesting was what Maj. Gen. Carroll was just speaking about - the new training requirements and how we are going to have to transition from the war we have been fighting to the next one.”
Gibbens said he will use the information from the workshop in a number of ways.
“One will be with employers,” said Gibbens. “We talk with employers and with commanders, the information doesn’t always get down to the local level. I’m just one more messenger. There is also a real benefit not only from the speakers that are brought in but from the interaction and sharing experiences with other ambassadors what works for them, what didn’t work for them. That sharing is very important.”
Steve Carter, ARA for the state of Minnesota is a fairly new ambassador and he shared a few of his focus topics.
“The biggest thing is the need for employers support for Reserve Soldiers to take time off needed for training,” Carter said. “Also, anytime I talk to anyone in legislation and congressional staffs, I highlight the need to support the military financially. Lastly, the community, I don’t think the great American public understands the sacrifices that our Reserve Soldiers make.”
Carter went on to state that it was great to hear the priorities of the Army Reserve, what the Army’s going through, the current environment and what challenges the Army Reserve faces and how he can help in his role.
In addition to the briefings and discussions, the ambassadors were given a front-row seat to a live training exercise conducted by the 86th Training Division during their current WAREX taking place on Fort McCoy. The ambassadors hid in an urban village and witnessed a platoon’s reaction to a vehicle convoy ambush and participated in the after action review that followed.
“This is awesome to see the Soldiers going through training,” said Carter. “I was an officer in the Army for 23 years and haven’t been through training in a while so it’s just a great experience.”
The workshop also included hands-on experiences in the virtual training facilities available on Fort McCoy. Ambassadors were allowed to drive Humvees through a virtual environment and fight off an attack in the Reconfigurable Vehicle Tactical Trainer. They drove an improvised explosive device removal vehicle in the Virtual Clearance Training Suite and fired an array of weapons at on-screen targets in the Engagement Skills Trainer.
When asked why he became an ambassador Gibbens, who retired from the Army Reserve in 1998, responded that it was an opportunity to keep serving.
“It was a way to stay connected to Soldiers,” Gibbens said. “That keeps you young, it’s kept me young.
The workshop concluded with a bus tour of the Fort McCoy Range Complex. The ambassadors walked through villages, subway stations and building structures used for realistic training scenarios all designed with one goal in mind: readiness.
The ambassadors will return to their states with a greater understanding of how Soldiers train, what the Army Reserve requires to plan, achieve and maintain readiness and what they can do to tell the Soldier’s story.
| Date Taken: | 07.19.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 07.19.2016 12:46 |
| Story ID: | 204367 |
| Location: | FORT MCCOY, WI, US |
| Web Views: | 181 |
| Downloads: | 3 |
This work, 88th RSC ensures Army Reserve Ambassadors know the Soldier’s story, by Catherine Carroll, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
LEAVE A COMMENT